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Qatif
This country is part of the Altverse universe |image_map = Map new nation.png |map_caption = Location of Qatif (highlighted green) |capital = Qatif City |official_languages = |ethnic_groups = 92% 5% 1.3% 1.7% other |ethnic_groups_year = 2013 |demonym = Qatifi |government_type = |leader_title1 = President |leader_name1 = Abdulaziz Al-Qazwini (JIQ) |leader_title2 = Vice-President |leader_name2 = Mu'izz al-Jundi (JIQ) |leader_title3 = Prime Minister |leader_name3 = Zayd Hossaini (IIAQ) |leader_title4 = Speaker of the National People's Council |leader_name4 = Saadallah Haffadh (IIAQ) |leader_title5 = Chief Justice |leader_name5 = Kamal al-Atwen |legislature = National People's Council |established_event1 = Sultanate of Qatif |established_event2 = Arab Republic |established_event3= Islamic Arab Republic |established_date1 = 1729 |established_date2 = 18th June 1962 |estabilshed_date3 = 2nd April 1993 |population_estimate = 8,748,900 |population_estimate_year = 2014 |GDP_nominal = $395.802 billion |GDP_nominal_year = 2014 |GDP_nominal_rank = 33rd |GDP_nominal_per_capita = |GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = |Gini = 46.6 |Gini_year = 2014 |HDI = 0.741 |HDI_year = 2014 |HDI_category = |currency = Qatifi rial |currency_code = QTR |time_zone = |utc_offset = +3 |drives_on = right |cctld = .qt, .كيو تي |calling_code = +947}} Qatif ( : القطيف; Al-Qaṭīf) officially referred to as the Islamic Arab Republic of Qatif (جمهورية القطيف العربية الإسلامية; Jumhūriyyat al-ʾQaṭīf al-ʿArabiyyah al-ʾIslāmiyyah) is a country in the located on the eastern side of the boarding the to the east, to the north and to the south and west. It also shares maritime boarders with . Qatif is a . The capital is Qatif City (Al-Qal'ah), located on the eastern coast, and is the home to some of the largest deposits in the world. The first state of Qatif was established as the ruled Sultanate of Qatif around the 1729 after gaining status as a protectorate under the , with its rulers being descendants of the . The early state of Qatif was almost constantly at war with within its boarders, becoming a protectorate of the Ottoman Empire. During Qatif switched alliances becoming for a brief period a British protectorate. Under Sultan Al-Qa'im ibn al-Aziz ibn Mohammed al-Tahir Qatif made tentative steps to modernise establishing a parliamentary democracy in 1947 after the Second World War. In 1961 Qatif's stagnant political atmosphere was plunged into chaos after the Ba'aath Party won the parliamentary that year, promoting protests to erupt around Qatif. This political deadlock led to a cadre of military officers to dispose the Sultan, enabling the rise of Mustafa al-Karim, leader of the the Arab Socialist Union of Qatif (IIAQ), who became the President of Qatif. al-Karim oversaw the liquidation of the Ba'aath Party as well as the formation of the People's Arab Republic of Qatif in 1962. Under al-Karim's Qatifi Socialism ideology businesses were nationalised as well as social welfare projects expanded with a partial implemented. al-Karim also oversaw the secularisation of Qatif, especially among the majority Shiite population in urban areas, with womens rights, the buildup of infrastructure and education becoming a government priority. State oppression under al-Karim was also brutal with state death squads and labour camps established to silence political dissent. In 1971 harsh austerity measures led to a political crisis that resulted the Qatif economy to be temporarily decimated as well as worsen relations with the United States and increase those with the and other Arab republics. However Qatif's rich oil deposits enabled it to become one of the wealthier nations in the Persian Gulf, although tensions between it and remained extremely high, with the Saudi government funding remaining Sunni insurgents in the south of Qatif. al-Karims death in 1986 prompted a wave of and Shia Islamic Fundamentalism to erupt in the country throwing it into civil war. The war officially ended in 1993 during which military chief Abdullah Rajab had taken power as president of Qatif, where he had led economic reforms which saw the dismantlement of the socialist economy. Rajab in order to pacify Islamist sentiments also introduced some mild policies into the legal system, although Shia Islam remained the state religion with Sunni Muslims- especially those who practiced Wahhabism - were still oppressed. During the numerous pro-democracy protests where held in the capital of Al-Khatt, leading to what foreign commentators have referred to as the "Palm Revolution". This prompted President Rajab to enact martial law before announcing elections were to be held the next year. In 2011 the first democratic elections where held in Qatif in which the Arab Socialist Union won a majority of the vote without facing any major opposition, with Rajab being re-elected as president. Since then Qatif has been confronted with continued Sunni insurgents in the southern regions which has so far been pacified as Qatif becomes more pluralistic. Qatif has a population of 14,748,900 with 90% being made up of , and most of the population being concentrated on the eastern coast of the country. Qatif has emerged as one of the Middle East's most stable economies following economic reform in the 2000's, as well as having some of the best women's rights in the region. Despite this human right abuses and the rise of organisations has severely hampered development in Qatif. Qatif is a member of the , , , , , and the . Qatif's large, untapped oil deposits has made it increasingly prominent on a world stage, although not to the extent of its neighbours Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Etymology Qatif was originally used to describe the city of the same name, which in itself can trace its name to the Hebrew word meaning "harvest". Qatif was for a long time used interchangeably with the name Al-Khatt, an alternative name for the city. In 1920 the Sultanate of Qatif officially named the city Qatif City and the land it ruled over Qatif. In Arabic Qatif is referred to as Al-Qaṭīf. Qatif was deemed to be an following the signing of the modern constitution of Qatif. Under Mustafa al-Karim Qatif did play a pivotal role in the movement, although this largely dissipated after the . Following Islamisation efforts under Abdullah Rajab Qatif was proclaimed to an . Qatif however has never been considered to be an in the same manner of , , or , with the government having policies in place. In Arabic its official name is Jumhūriyyat al-ʾQaṭīf al-ʿArabiyyah al-ʾIslāmiyyah. History :Main article: History of Qatif Ancient History H uman life in the region that comprises of modern day Qatif can be traced back to 18,000BC, and is usually referred to as . Prominent pre-Islamic civilisations within the region include the and the . The Eastern Coast became a vibrant trading hub from Arabia to India and China, with the cities of Al-Khatt and Al-Tuwaiq becoming especially prosperous. Eastern Arabia soon housed various peoples of different religions, ethnicities, and cultures including , and . The people of Eastern Arabia were based around maritime trade with common goods including spices, cloths, slaves and weapons. Most people lived within city states along the coast, whilst those further inland lived nomadic lifestyles. In 250AD the Iranian successfully conquered much of the Eastern coastline of the Arabian peninsula, including the territory of modern day Qatif. The Parthian Empires successor, the . The Persians controlled the region until the rise of Islam in the 7th century, although in practice the city states of Eastern Arabia functioned in much of the same manner prior to the Persian conquest. The spread of following 's acquisitions of and reached Eastern Arabia around 629AD after Muhammad's advisor travelled there with the intent of preaching the word of to Eastern Arabians. Eastern Arabians were quick to embrace Islam, although this did not stop the vibrant trade relations between Eastern Arabians and the rest of the world. Eastern Arabia became especially prosperous when was established as the seat of in 750AD, which also saw the city states of Eastern Arabia become some of the centre points for Islamic scholarship. Qarmatians Eastern Arabia had always been a haven for from within the Muslim world, with some forming secret resistance groups to the dominant . Around 750AD the Shia sect of Islam named had become dominant in and Eastern Arabia. It was here that the dissident group named the gained power. In 899AD the Qarmatians led by founded a state in Eastern Arabia and Bahrin. This event, known as the Qarmatian revolution, shocked the central Islamic leadership Baghdad who were unable to halt the Qarmatians as they had become preoccupied in stopping the fragmentation of the caliphate in North Africa. The territory controlled by the Qarmatians was among the wealthiest in the Middle East thanks to the lucrative slave trade in the region, with slaves from cultivating the sparse but prosperous farmland in their territories. The Qarmatians impressive military might also allowed them to have neighbouring vassal city states pay tithes to them. With the exception of the practice of slavery the Qarmatian society was largely with a ruling council sharing power as "first among equals". The Qarmatians economic prosperity enabled them not to tax their citizens, whom they shared wealth out to in what was deemed in fair wages and those in debt could take out loans which had no interest. Some modern historians often state that the Qarmatians established possibly the longest surviving proto- state. Despite these achievements the Qarmatians soon became infamous from within the Muslim world, declaring the (the pilgrimage to ) to be a superstition. In 930AD Qarmatian leader Abu Taher Sulayman ordered an attack on Mecca, where pilgrims and Meccans alike were killed by the Qarmatian advance. The Qarmatians then took the and moved it from its scared place in Mecca to the Qarmatian capital in Hassa, angering the Muslim world. Despite this other Muslims were afraid to attack the Qarmatians who by that point had established themselves as being the most powerful force in the Arabian peninsula. The Qarmatian zeal within their own territories strengthened after the prophesied divine intervention failed to materialise. In 976AD the Qarmatians encountered a series of humiliating defeats at the hands of the in which they began to lose their vassal states that paid tribute to them. Qarmatian influence began to become more and more localised as the state was gradually cut off leaving them economically weak. In 1058AD Bahrin became free from Qarmatian control, as did much of the territory comprising of modern day Qatif shortly afterwards. In 1067AD the last major Qarmatian stronghold in Hoffuf was taken over by the forces of Abdullah bin Ali Al-Uyuni, effectively ending the Qarmatian movement. Middle Ages After the collapse of the Qarmatians the took over Eastern Arabia including the island of Bahrain and the city of Qatif. Historians debate on whether the Uyunids were Shiites or Sunnis - if they were the former it is likely they introduced Twelver Shia Islam to the region. In 1253 the - a dynasty that originated from the tribe of the confederation overthrew the Uyunids, having previously being an ally to both the Qarmatians and the Uyunids. The Usfurids had an unstable relationship with another regional power, that being the Persian prince in control of the . In 1320 Ormus took Qatif and Bahrain, but failed to permanently occupy them causing the Ormus and the Usfurids to periodically fight over control of the territory. Often in these conflicts the Ormus did not rule the territory directly instead giving control to the which ruled from Qatif. The Jarwanids were largely considered to be made up of the remnants of the Qarmatians, being largely ruled by Isma'ilis. Despite this unlike the Qarmatians the Jarwanids reinstated worship in mosques as well as advocate Twelver Shia Islam alongside Isma'ilism. In the 15th century the , another branch of the Banu 'Amir confederation, took over Eastern Arabia from the Usfurids, Ormus and Jarwanids. The Jabrids took over the entire coastline of the Arabian side of the , as well as launch attacks on and . The greatest expansion of the Jabrid dynasty was under Sultan Ajwad ibn Zamil, whose death in 1507 saw the kingdom divided between his sons with taking over Qatif, al-Hasa and Bahrain. Soon Bahrain was taken under the control of the Portuguese in 1521, with the Jabrid dynasty falling to the and later the . Ottoman rule In 1566 Eastern Arabia came under the control of the Ottoman Empire when it was ruled by , becoming the of the Ottomans adopting much of their laws and customs. Although Eastern Arabia was officially a Eyalet paying large tithes to the Ottomans and adopting some of the Ottoman laws it functioned more as an independent state that was presided over by a governor from Anatolia. Ottoman culture was enforced in the region, but much of the population remained Shiite with their being active resistance to the Ottomans. In 1670 the overthrew the Ottomans in the region establishing an . In 1729 however the Isma‘ili Shiite al-Tahir dynasty supported by the Ottomans overthrew the Emirate, creating the Sultanate of Qatif, a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire. Sultanate :Main article - Sultanate of Qatif The expansion of the saw the Sultanate embark on the fast modernisation of its military forces, as a precaution to defend itself from forces. In 1786 Qatif with the support of the Ottomans was able to resist the majority of attacks made by the Saudis, with the Saudis unable to take any territory on the Eastern Coast north of Qatar. After the Wahhabist influence in Qatif was purged as Isma‘ili Shia Islam was promoted instead. The emergence of the saw Qatif fight off Saudi forces from occupying Eastern Arabia, with the Sultanate retaining control partly due to Qatifs superior weapons and training to the Saudis. The Saudis abandoned their plans for conquest around 1931 due to continued military failure, as Qatif started to embark on ambitious modernisation projects in line with the policy of the Ottomans, soon becoming an extremely wealthy trading post. The modernisation efforts undertaken by the Tahir dynasty saw the building of roadways, shipyards and greater infrastructure in the main cities of Al-Qal'ah and Al-Hasa. There was also the establishment of an official governing body known as the Majlis, a group of Ismaili scholars who advised the Emir on governmental matters - previously the Sultan had officially ruled alone. In 1889 plans for a rail road to run from to Al-Khatt were formulated, with construction beginning that year. In 1913 forces from the tried to capture Al-Hasa and Al-Qal'ah, but were pushed by Qatifi forces. During the Qatifi Sultanate refused to take sides despite the Ottoman Empire urging it to join . However Qatifi forces had become embroiled in a conflict with the which was led by since 1911, and were unable to commit troops. Two events shaped the Qatifi outcome for the war - the in 1916 and the . In response the Sultan Al-Aziz ibn Mohammed al-Tahir ended the centuries old pact with the Ottoman Empire and instead pledged allegiance to Britannia, launching attacks on the Ottoman Empire. The end of the war saw Qatif established as a Britannian protectorate after the Al-Hasa treaty was signed in the despite strong calls from Ibn Saud to annexe Qatif into Saudi Arabia. In 1920 Qatif's status as a protectorate ended after the signing of the Al-Ahsa Proclamation. Qatif was one of the least developed nations on the planet at this time, with much of the population being illiterate and without basic healthcare needs, with many still living in tribes. Several tribal revolts occurred in the 1920's, all of which were suppressed by the Sultan, whose conservative government refused to seriously modernise the country. In 1934 Britannia undertook an expedition into Qatif with the intention of finding oil - previously Qatif had based its economy on limited livestock and agricultural exports. The Eastern most regions of Qatif saw the discovery of large amounts of oil reserves, resulting in the creation of the Anglo-Qatifi Oil Corporation (AQOC). During the , the Sultans government allied with Britannia, enabling them to have access to vital ports and oil reserves. Following the end of the war Qatif quickly allied itself to Western countries in the opening days of the . In 1947 Sultan Al-Aziz ibn Mohammed al-Tahir died, with his son Al-Qa'im ibn al-Aziz ibn Mohammed al-Tahir coming to power. al-Tahir was an ambitious moderniser who wished for Qatif to become a economic powerhouse in the gulf. Moderate democratic reforms were also put in place, which created a national elected bicameral legislature known as the Parliament of Qatif. The upper house consisted of several unelected Islamic scholars known as the Majlis, whereas the lower house was elected ostensibly by the citizens of Qatif, although in reality only landowning literate men were afforded voting rights. In 1961 a coalition of and parties led by the Qatifi branch of the came into power, with Ba'athist leader Nasser bin Mutaib being inaugurated as the prime minister of Qatif. bin Mutaib tried to implement reforms that would include the dissolution of the Majlis and the nationalisation of several companies such as the AQOC. This encountered serious resistance from the Sultan, who was supported by the Majlis and the Britannians. This political stagnation alongside ongoing corruption, nepotism, cronyism and kleptocracism saw radical Ba'athists and members of the banned communist party stage riots and protests across the country, setting off the Tabawa Revolution. The protests were ended a month after they started following a military coup by Mustafa al-Karim which disposed of the Sultan and liquidated the legislature, instituting a transitional government. Arab Republic in 1971.]]On the 18th June 1962 the Arab Republic of Qatif was declared with al-Karim being named its first president. al-Karim dissolved the Ba'ath Party, merging several nationalist and socialist parties into the Arab Socialist Union of Qatif, which propagated al-Karim's own political philosophy known as Qatifi Socialism. The new government was heavily modelled on the found in , , and , and pushed forward socialist policies. Ambitious infrastructure, healthcare and education reforms were made that saw greater urbanisation and industrialisation policies undertaken as well as the implementation as and . Literacy rates and life expectancy rapidly increased as a result. al-Karim also implemented policies that aimed to secularise Qatifi society, with land reform undermining the influence of Islamic scholars. Religious law was abolished as was Islamic clothing. Geopolitically, al-Karim had Qatif join the and claimed Qatif had an independent foreign policy. However strong alliances to Egypt and other Arab republics saw Qatif shift its allegiance to the and other countries in the . In 1970 in accordance to a five year plan the government nationalised the AQOC, causing Britannia and several western countries placing sanctions on Qatif which crippled the Qatifi economy. Growing unrest and enforced austerity by the government resulted in a group of military officers led by Jamil Abdul and supported by Britannia, , Wabash, , and attempt a coup in early 1971. The coup resulted in the with Saudi backing staging riots in the capital, causing members of al-Karim's cabinet to form a new government in the north of the country starting the 1971 Qatifi crisis. al-Karim was able to rally support from other Arab nations alongside the Soviet Union against Abdul's government in Qatifi City. Abdul's government was fraught with internal power struggles and a rocky relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood. In September Abdul's government started to collapse as many defected to al-Karim's forces. In early November al-Karim's forces retook Qatifi City, causing Britannia to withdraw all support for Abdul, who was captured by security forces officially ending the crisis. The end of the crisis saw a government crackdown on dissident forces and a purge within the IIAQ with al-Karim amassing more power around the president. The unpopular austerity measures were scaled back, although economic growth was still slow. Nevertheless many more Qatifi citizens were lifted out of poverty during the 1970's and 1980's, as government programs invested in greater education and healthcare facilities. State repression increased as press freedom and protest were far more limited. In 1972 Qatif alongside Egypt, Libya and Syria held a referendum that saw it join the , although there were substantial disagreements amongst the member states on what form of government the federation should use. In 1973 Qatif sent troops to aid Egypt and Syria in the against - Qatif had previously supported the Arab coalition in the . Qatif remained heavily aligned to the USSR and increasingly Syria, severing ties with Egypt following the . Following the Qatif was alarmed by the rhetoric of , and engaged in persecution against Islamists. Nevertheless following the start of the Qatif gave covert logistical aid and arms to against . was an anti-Shia Salafist group that fought government forces in the Qatifi Civil War]]In 1986 al-Karim died of a stroke designating his successor as Hamad Majeed. Majeed decreased the amount of Sunni participation in the government, shifting support for the regime from leftists and Arab nationalists to Shia Islamists. Majeed also started to ramp up substantial aid to Iran in the Iran-Iraq War, and continued to persecute Sunni's. This led to a steady rise in Sunni terrorism in the western regions of Qatif, with and anti-government groups being formed and being armed by states such as Saudi Arabia. In 1987 a coalition of Sunni terrorist groups known as the Islamic Liberation Army declared a holy jihad against the Qatifi government starting the Qatifi Civil War. The Qatifi Civil War saw neighbouring regimes such as Saudi Arabia, the Trucial States, , Egypt and alongside the US, Britannia and Israel help arm the rebels whilst Iran, Syria, Libya and Turkey aided the government. Majeed armed Shiite militia groups (the most prominent being the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen al-Qatif) to help fight the rebels. Islamic Arab Republic Geography Provinces Government and politics and the Cabinet.|left]]The 1962 Constitution of Qatif, which has amended many times, serves as the supreme law of Qatif, with its most modern incarnation defining the nation as an , . In practice Qatif functions as a with traditions. The President functions as the leading the branch of government. The Prime Minister serves as the , leading the National People's Council which forms the . Despite democratic elections having been held from 2012 has called the Qatifi government "Partly Free". Qatif was formally described as a were there are frequent elections, but with little opposition to the ruling party. However the 2015 presidential elections were deemed to be fair and free by international observers, and Qatifi citizens do enjoy more personal and even political freedoms then neighbouring Arab states. From 1961 to 2015 Qatifi politics were dominated by the Arab Socialist Union of Qatif (IIAQ) which until 2011 had been the only legal political party in the country. Under Mustafa al-Karim the government was highly centralised with most of the decision making being conducted via IIAQ's central committee which was headed by the general secretary of the party who also served as president. After al-Karim's death the government retained this structure, although then president Rajab delegated more power to his subordinates unlike al-Karim whose rule was largely personalised. The National People's Congress is where the majority of the laws are drafted, amended and approved, although it is widely regarded as being a legislature. The president also approves of all laws passed through the National People's Congress, and has the ability to appoint the prime minister and dissolve the National People's Council. The president also serves as the of the armed forces. The president most importantly elects members of the cabinet along with the prime minister who presents the president with a list of suitable candidates from the National People's Council. The president is always the leader of the largest party from within the National People's Council. The current president of Qatif is Abdulaziz Al-Qazwini, who was the first president to be democratically elected. The president can elect up a vice presidents who serves as his deputy, and can take up the role of presidency in the event of the presidents death or removal from office. The prime minister of Qatif heads the Cabinet of Qatif which replaced the central committee as the de facto executive, and is elected by the majority party from within the National People's Council. Councillors are elected using with the being used to calculate the number of seats. To be elected however parties must pass an 11% threshold to enter the Council. The National People's Council is currently dominated by IIAQ. The law of Qatif is based upon -esque and which was introduced in 1986 as part of president Rajab's Islaminisation of the government. Sharia law is only used for property and family law such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, the handling of , and child custody. Sharia law is administrated through Sharia courts which are divided into Sunni and Shiite courts. Non-Muslim residents are not subject to Sharia law. The Qatifi interpretation of Sharia Law is handled by the Ministry of Justice. In Sharia courts a womens testimony is counted as half that of a man's. Elections Human Rights :Main article - Human Rights of Qatif Qatif has been criticised for excessive human rights violations over its existence. Qatif's constitution states that people have freedom of religion, the press, political participation, speech and protest, although in practice these rights are not consistently respected. The Sultanate of Qatif was governed according to Islamic law, with human rights denied to most of the population. Dissent against the Sultan was punished through the judicial system. In 1951 following the creation of the Parliament of Qatif the General Intelligence Directorate was formed, which served as the secret police of the Sultanate. The press was heavily censored, labour unions and numerous political organisations were banned and freedom of speech was not respected. Protests were dealt with police and military force, with the GID torturing political dissidents and denying the right to a free trial. Women had very little rights, as did Sunni Muslims and people's of other faiths. LGBT+ persons similarly had no rights, and ethnic minorities faced persecution. Slavery was also common. Following the 1961 coup the NSD was dissolved and replaced with the Qatifi Intelligence Directorate (Idarat al-Mukhabarat al-Qatif, or IMQ). The IMQ were granted wide ranging powers that enabled them to bypass judicial functions and arrest those without charge. Freedom of the press was denied with the state controlling all forms of media, and labour unions were absorbed into the ruling bureaucracy being controlled through the IIAQ with collective barging rights ignored. Almost all political organisations were subservient to the IIAQ with any real dissent being clamped down upon. Torture and executions were sanctioned by the state with prison camps made specifically to house political prisoners being set up. The new government however did give women legal equal rights to men as did people of other faiths and ethnic backgrounds, although Jews faced intense persecution. Homosexuality was legalised although homosexuals still faced legal problems. Sunni's were also more accepted into public life with legal discrimination being ended. Slavery was criminalised in the 1962 Penal Code, with slavery being clamped down upon by the authorities. Following the 1971 Qatifi crisis Sunni's faced substantial discrimination. Political rights were further repressed as was freedom of speech and the press. Torture and executions increased mainly between late 1971 to 1973 during the so-called purge, which was both concentrated within the IIAQ's ranks and the population as a whole. The death of al-Karim saw a suppression of leftists as Sunni's were further repressed. The Qatifi Civil War saw massive human right abuses from both sides - Sunni militia's carried out a genocide Shia's and Christians who refused to convert, alongside other persons especially women did not abide by Sharia law as well as participate in uncoordinated killings against government forces and associated paramilitaries. Shia Mujahideen forces meanwhile were implicated in the ethnic cleansing of Sunni Muslims whilst government forces were proven to have used chemical weapons against rebel militias in the closing months of the war. Torture during the war was common as was the use of child soldiers and sexual abuse including rape. Human trafficking was also reported to have been carried out especially by militia forces. Following the end of the civil war human rights in Qatif were much better - however international organisations such as still lamented Qatif on human rights violations. Press freedom and the right for political protest were still suppressed as were labour union rights and freedom of expression. Women also saw some their rights taken away from them as Sharia law was introduced into the legal system. There were still reports of torture and summary executions of political prisoners. Foreign Relations :Main article - Foreign relations of Qatif Since the creation of the Islamic Arab Republic Qatif has endeavoured to pursue a balanced, neutral foreign policy as well as be an active player in the . Qatif is a member of large international organisations such as the , , , the , and the . Regionally Qatif is a member of the , , and the . Qatif's large deposits of petroleum have enabled it to become an influential member of . Under the Sultanate Qatif had a general pro-Western foreign policy having especially close relations with . Following the 1961 coup Qatif began to forge close to other Arab states that formed part of the revolutionary Arab nationalist movement , with its best relations being between , , , , and . Qatif has also established good relations with and and has since the 1990's been a large supplier of oil to some members. During the Qatif aimed to remain neutral, but its socialist economy and antagonising of led the United States to become a key supporter of rebel forces in the 1971 Qatifi crisis in which military generals attempted to oust president al-Karim and set up a new state that was closer to western interests. The attempt failed partly due to Soviet support to the al-Karim government, causing Qatif to become one of the most pro-Soviet countries in the Middle East under al-Karim. al-Karim's successor President Rajab reopened relations with America in 1990 and began to distance Qatif from . Qatif has opposed the existence of the State of Israel since the latters creation, participating in the , the and the . Qatif has continued to refuse to recognise Israel and has reportedly armed Shia militias in such as . The Qatifi Civil War saw give substantial military and economic aid to the Qatifi government whilst and the Trucial States gave similar support to . Since the war the Qatifi government has firm allies with Iran along with Syria, with some analysts remarking that Qatif is the Iran's closest and most loyal ally. Both Saudi Arabia and the Trucial States remain on poor terms with Qatif. Recently in the Yemeni Civil War, Qatif along with Iran and is alleged to have funded the who control the government headed by the . Qatif has provided military assistance against since the , being affiliated with the Syrian government. Qatif has also supported the regime of in the , labelling the and its associates alongside the as terrorists. Qatif previously opposed the , as well as being part of the coalition in the that drove out 's from Kuwait. In the early stages of the the Qatifi government under al-Karim gave logistical and financial aid to the Iranian regime. Qatif has always recognised sovereignty over which has placed it at odds with the and more importantly Qatif's usual ally Algeria. Previously however Qatif saw as the ruling government - however following Mauritania's removal of its claim to the region Qatif instead declared its recognition of the Moroccan claims over the territory. Economy Qatif has a with the government exerting varying degrees of control over certain industries. The petroleum sector for example is centrally planned and completely under state control through the Qatifi Oil Corporation, whilst the banking sector has in comparison been deregulated. The national currency of Qatif is the Qatifi Rial which is regulated at the Qatifi Central Bank. Energy Qatif has some of the largest oil reserves in the world, with oil extraction managed through the state owned Qatifi Oil Corporation. Qatif has been labelled an due to their vast amounts of oil, with petroleum making up 41% of Qatif's total nominal GDP value. However unlike their neighbour Saudi Arabia political instability, outdated technology and economic mismanagement has resulted in much of this oil to be untapped, with extraction being slow. Although recent findings indicate that Qatif has more oil then Saudi Arabia, it has been unable to dominate the global oil market in the way Saudi Arabia is able do through controlling prices because of its slow extraction methods. Sine 2011 Qatif has aimed to launch a nuclear energy program, hoping to create its first three nuclear power stations by 2020. Qatif hopes to import uranium from Russia and , and build nuclear enrichment facilities with the help of Russia. Qatif has stated that such a nuclear program would be for energy purposes only. Tourism Qatif's political and economic stability following the Qatifi Civil War has enabled the Qatifi tourism industry to boom. The majority of tourists are from , , and . Many go to Qatif to visit the al-Q'aiam Mosque or the historic city of Alhasa. Recent unrest and negative press attention has led to a decline in tourism, although the government has made moves to revitalise the market by investing in the reconstruction of various historic sites. Demographics As of 2014 Qatif has an estimated population of 8,748,900 people, with the last census in 2010 listing 14,028,247 people. The majority of people in Qatif are with there being significant and minorities. Most people follow with the second biggest religion being . Most of the population live in the urbanised areas near the coast, with those further inland often either being members of nomadic tribes or live in small rural villages. 41% of the population are under the age of 25, with only 23% over the age of 65. Qatif's has increased in recent years, rising from 2.25 to 3.14 between 2011 to 2014, with the figure expected to rise to 4.5 by 2018. The government have attempted to halt this rise by advocating for more contraception. The government has also expressed interest in legalising abortion to help battle growing fertility and possible over populating Qatif, as well as the possibility of enacting an similar to . Ethnic groups Of that 8,748,900 people around 92% of them are estimated to be Arabs, with 81% of that number native Qatifi. The largest ethnic minority in Qatif are who consist of 5% of the population. The second largest minority is who constitute 1.3% of the total population. Other ethnic minorities in Qatif include (mostly from ), , , and . Religion Qatif is officially a country with although the constitution recognises as the traditional religion of the country. The majority of the population (97%) are with 84% being Shiites and 13% being . 1.4% of the population are with the remaining 1.6% being made up of , , the and . Official government policy is that each religion must keep out of the affairs of the other, although in practice discrimination towards especially Jews is widespread. Qatif is the only country in the world where the majority of the population follow the branch of Shia Islam with the majority professing allegiance to the sect. Around 72.4% of the population follow the Ismaili sect while 11.6% follow Twelever sect. Sunni Muslims in Qatif mainly follow , possibly stemming from their close proximity with Saudi Arabia. Religious tensions between the two sects are quite high, with the Shiites mainly concentrated in the affluent, urban and developed areas of Qatif and the Sunni's in poorer rural communities. Generally the Sunni population is considerably more conservative then the Shiites, seeing the secularisation efforts of the government as blasphemous. Secularisation among Muslim communities have provoked extremely mixed reactions. Initially measures were extremely harsh with the banned completely and for religion to be praticed only in private. In 1966 these measures were somewhat relaxed although the and the remain illegal, with the wearing of the being restricted in government and education. During the civil war territory held by the Islamic Liberation Front saw strict Sharia law implemented although much of this was repelled following the retaking of the territory by government forces. Following the civil war mild Islamist policies in the 1990's prompted some support in the application of Sharia Law in the legal system, and the lifting of the ban that prohibited the wearing of the hijab in government. However, the governments continued with an overall commitment towards secularism that has led Qatifi culture to be largely tolerant of other religions in more developed areas, although there are still minor tensions. The prevalence of the hijab in Qatif is similar to that of and with most women in Qatif wearing the hijab, although recent studies show that this is out of choice, not obligation to family members. Language is the only official language of Qatif with over 95% of the populace speaking it as their first language. The is primarily spoken in Qatifi communities, and Qatifi Sign language (which is part of the ) is used for the deaf. Prior to education reform in 1998, the learning of other languages outside of Arabic was not encouraged. However since then has been taught to all Qatifi children, and many others have now learnt the language to increase the ease of trade in Qatif. The Iranian minority in Qatif mainly speak , whilst the Turkish, Pakistani and Nepalese communities speak , and respectively. Qatifi custom expects immigrants to learn basic Arabic alongside their own language. Whilst not officially banned and texts are extremely hard to publish in Qatif, and many Hebrew/Yiddish speakers are discriminated against. Culture Qatifi culture has been primarily influenced by a mix of and along with elements from , and culture. Qatif has always prided itself for its role in the Arab world as well as its Shia traditions and history. Some commentators have noted partly due to this mix along with the secularisation efforts made by the government that Qatif is more open then its much more conservative neighbours and the Trucial States. Whilst compared to Western culture Qatif is socially conservative it is less so then other Arab countries, with an emphasis on family, education, religion, respect and law. See also |Northeast = • |East = |Southeast = |South = |Southwest = |West = |Northwest = }} Category:Countries Category:Nations Category:Qatif Category:Altverse